Given their cuteness and amiable dispositions, French Bulldogs make wonderful family companions. You must approach the job of becoming a breeder with great care and attention if you want to breed French Bulldogs.
Make careful to select both men and women who have a history of good health and are unrelated. Keep an eye on the breeding meeting for any indications that a C-section is required. Become a member of a few respected breed organizations to establish your credibility as a breeder.
Can French Bulldogs Breed Naturally?
Natural mating is the most efficient and economical method to have a litter of puppies for most dog breeds. French bulldogs are not suitable for this situation.
French bulldogs have large heads and extremely small hips. The male finds it very challenging to mount the female a result effortlessly. The most secure and productive method for producing French bulldogs is artificial insemination.
How to Breed French Bulldogs?
Assess your resources first before choosing which linebred you want to nurture. Do you have the resources to commit 100% of your time and money to this project? You won’t require a sizable breeding facility until you have a few good “foundation” bitches.
Do you also have any funds available for any potential emergencies? What happens if your female canine gets sick or needs progesterone testing, vet care, an emergency c-section, or anything else that costs extra? The worst thing you can do is enroll in a breeding program only to discover later that you cannot afford to care for your canines.
Breeders dedicated to their work are guaranteed to thrive and produce pups of the highest caliber. To determine the effectiveness of his breeding program, a breeder must continuously assess the puppies in his care.
Only a select few of us have limitless room, but you can place your French Bulldog in decent homes where it will get the care, food, training, and medical attention they need.
Now that you have sorted out your money and proven your resolve let’s get to the basics.
1. Foundation Dogs
First, you’ll need to choose the correct kennel to buy from and know which dogs to buy. The ideal option would be to purchase a high-quality dog, but most people must be aware that female dogs should always be purchased initially for broodstock.
This will cut your program’s length by about three to four years. To ensure you purchase a high-quality linebred, ask the breeders for the canines’ complete pedigree records.
Linebred canines will have predictable litters of puppies. Kennels with a solid reputation and a lengthy history will likely have linebred dogs to guarantee high-quality French Bulldogs.
2. Deciding on a Stud
The majority of well-known breeders now offer a breeding service. You should utilize this if you are a novice grower. As I mentioned, you should begin with female canines because so many people start by purchasing a stud, which will cost more.
You can use a stud service for a much-reduced cost and still get top-notch linebred French Bulldogs. You can contact the stud service you want to use or even the kennel from which you bought the female canines when they are ready to breed.
A stud requires expensive housing, food, and medical treatment, so you’ll want to be sure they can handle the responsibility once they reach adulthood.
3. Pedigree Analysis
When choosing brood stock, you must keep this important stage in mind. The pedigree of a canine means nothing to a child. A pedigree is a genetic promise profile containing limitless information for someone with a keen eye for detail.
The kennel will be able to give you a specific dog’s lineage. All of these processes should result in a high-quality, well-built, healthy, attractive French Bulldog that is a tested breed.
Breeders used top-notch brood stock to create well-known, high-quality French Bulldogs. It serves as the cradle of a lineage. The pups you make must be able to maintain this breed and continue to produce high-quality pups.
If the pups you create are unsuccessful and the last of their kind because they cannot reproduce further, you will have to start over at step one.
Process of Breeding French Bulldogs
Menstrual Cycle
Breeding a French Bulldog is crucial; you must pay close attention to your female dogs. Observe when they go into heat and start to ovulate when the next heat comes, and keep your stud available for that time.
Once a bitch begins bleeding five days into her period, she usually begins ovulating. A little bleeding and irritability will indicate the start of her fertile period.
Before pairing your female with the male for mating, you can now transport her to the veterinarian for tests to ensure that she is ovulating.
Artificial Insemination
Avoid directly breeding the dogs by using artificial insemination with the assistance of your veterinarian. Instead of mating the two canines, you can ask the veterinarian for help artificially inseminating your bitch.
Veteran breeders frequently opt for this technique because it can be much easier on females. You could attempt removing the semen from the stud’s engorged penis and using a clean dropper to inject it into the bitch’s vagina if you feel confident doing it yourself.
To increase the likelihood of pregnancy, keep the female lying on her back with her hips slightly raised. You risk infecting or hurting the dogs if you attempt to perform this without training.
Birthing the Puppies
Visit the vet before giving birth to your female dog for prenatal treatment. The vet can perform an ultrasound or radiograph to determine how many puppies your canine will have.
They’ll be able to instruct you on how to deliver the puppies and assess for any potential problems with the pregnancy.
Labor
Pay attention to labor hints. Your female should make it quite clear by her conduct when she is ready to start labor. Restlessness, shivering, panting, appetite loss, whining, and vomiting are common labor symptoms.
Your canine might also retreat to a remote location to prepare for delivery. When you notice these signs of labor, the pups typically arrive 12 to 24 hours later. Only intervene during childbirth when essential.
The dam will typically bite off the umbilical cord, tear open the placental sac surrounding each puppy, and start licking the puppy aggressively to stimulate breathing and circulation.
Each puppy should arrive within 10 to 30 minutes of the other. Leave your female to it if she does all these things alone to connect with her puppies. You’ll have to move if the dam appears unsure of what to do.
First, carefully pry open the placental sac to allow the baby to breathe. The umbilical cord should then be severed and tied off with thread. Dispose of any liquid or mucus in the puppy’s mouth or nostrils. Then aggressively rub the puppy to encourage breathing and circulation.
Prepare For C-section
Be ready in case a C-section is required. Due to their large heads and tiny pelvises, French Bulldogs typically cannot give birth naturally. When your Frenchie begins the labor process, be mindful of this truth and watch for any signs that she might require a C-section.
Take the buck immediately to the doctor for an urgent C-section if she has been in labor for over an hour.
Caring for the Puppies
Incorporate a Whelping Cage
The mother can recuperate in this area while caring for her puppies and recuperating from childbirth. The box should be about 32 inches (81 cm) wide by 16 inches (41 cm) deep by 12 inches (30 cm) high, with walls tall enough to keep the pups inside.
This will allow the mother and puppies to lie down comfortably. For the first week or so, you should ensure a heat source is close, such as a heating lamp.
Feed the Puppies
Confirm the puppies are getting enough to consume. Puppies that are just hatched need to eat roughly every two hours. Make sure the young pups are moving toward their mother’s nipples when it’s time to feed them by keeping an eye on them.
If they can’t find it, they should attempt to squeeze the puppy’s nipple and guide it to the milk drop to get it to start eating.
You may need to supplement with bottle feeding a high-quality newborn puppy formula like Esbilac if the puppies are not sucking or appear to be perpetually hungry (yelling and crying all the time).
Ensure Puppies are Defecating
Ensure the pups are urinating and pooping by keeping an eye on them. French Bulldogs are not born with the ability to urinate and defecate. They pick up these abilities by having their moms lick them.
The pups are prompted to use the restroom by this motion. You might have to ‘lick’ the pups if the mother doesn’t appear to be doing so. Dip a cotton ball in warm water to encourage a puppy’s excretion and carefully rub it across its genitalia.
Mistakes to Avoid while Breeding French Bulldog
People often make simple mistakes that may seem insignificant but can cost them a fortune. It would be best if you avoid these at all costs. If you go through everything wisely, you will become a great breeder.
Buy Good Bitches
The first mistake to avoid is buying low-quality breeding stock and buying male studs rather than female dogs. Don’t just buy a stud or an award-winning show dog. Get a proven producer that can give you an excellent future specimen. You have to invest in getting the results you are looking for.
Keep Extra Cash
Keep extra cash for any emergencies. Don’t cheap out on anything. Always choose a linebred and consider the characteristics you must achieve in the future French Bulldog Puppies. Do a study of the genetic makeup of the breed.
Learning Genetics
If you never learn about the genes of the canine, you are bound to breed an inferior breed of dog with a harmful genetic makeup. You must become a nerd, dig into it, and learn which gene works for what. This will help you better understand and establish a bloodline of yours.
Learn about Bloodline
The last mistake people make is misunderstanding what a bloodline is. Bloodline does not mean a dog’s offspring that has won several medals in beauty competitions and given a few pups.
Instead, a bloodline is a dog’s ancestor having the same characteristics more than 2 times in the last 4 generations with the ability to reproduce consistently. A bloodline dog will give you a good amount and quality of litter.
Join A Club
Join a few French Bulldog breed organizations. The likelihood that your application to become a certified breeder through the Kennel Club or another group will be accepted will increase if you join such organizations.
Additionally, networking with other Frenchie breeders will help you discover future studs and bitches to breed your dogs with. Consider joining the Southern Bulldog Club, French Bulldog Club of America, French Bulldog Club of England, or any other clubs in your region.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Best Age to Breed a French Bulldog?
From the age of 18 months, French Bulldogs can reproduce without risk. Most dogs have probably reached sexual maturity by now and are likely in the middle of (or about to begin) their second period of heat.
Is It Possible for Frenchies to Breed Naturally?
Most French bulldogs have big heads and very narrow hips, making it difficult to mate independently. Some people also claim that French bulldogs have breeding issues because of the nature of their noses, which may cause the stress of mating and giving birth too much for them.
How Many Puppies Will a French Bulldog Have?
Typically, French Bulldog litters range from 2 to 4 pups. Most litters are born via section; any litter larger than five is uncommon.
Conclusion
Breeding French Bulldogs is a rigorous process and requires extra care every step of the way. But the result is worth every effort. To become a breeder, you must stay updated with everything you need to know about your dogs.
Be thoughtful towards them and take great care of them. Go for a quality breed and save money without compromising on the care of the French Bulldogs.
